Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Lloyd.
Hi Kate, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I found my way into massage and entrepreneurship during a period of significant change and loss. After losing my mother and then losing my job due to my own personal health challenges, I found myself at a crossroads. I was
grieving, raising my daughter as a single parent, and trying to figure out what came next. Massage had always
been something I was drawn to, and in that moment, it felt like both a practical and deeply meaningful path
forward.
Massage school ended up being incredibly supportive for my life at the time, in ways I didn’t fully understand until
later. The schedule worked with my responsibilities as a parent, but more than that, the work itself was healing. It
gave me a sense of purpose and helped me reconnect with my own body while learning how to support others.
That experience confirmed that this was the work I wanted to grow into long-term.
After graduating, I began working in a large massage chain, but I quickly realized that the pace and structure
weren’t aligned with the kind of care I wanted to provide. I moved on to a wellness center, where I spent about
four years deepening my skills, building lasting relationships with clients, and learning what it meant to practice in
a more holistic, client-centered way. Many of the people I worked with during that time are still with me today.
When the opportunity came to open my own practice in Mebane, I took it. That was my first step fully into
business ownership, and it taught me a great deal about trusting myself, setting boundaries, and creating a space
that felt calm, safe, and intentional. After nearly two years, changes in the surrounding environment made it clear
that the space was no longer supportive of the work I was doing, so I made the difficult decision to leave.
I worked mobile for a short time, and then, through a long-standing client relationship, I was offered the space
where I now practice in Durham. That transition marked an important turning point and really reinforced how
much trust, relationship, and alignment matter in both healing work and business.
Today, my practice reflects those values. My work focuses on helping people feel grounded, supported, and
reconnected with themselves. Over the past year, a large part of that growth came through my own lived
experience. As I learned how to better regulate my own nervous system, I began to understand how the body
holds stress, adapts, and responds to safety. That process led me into developing a more integrated approach to
my work. I’m still shaping and refining this with the intention of sharing it more formally when the time is right. Myfocus remains the same: creating work that is aligned, human, and built to last.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced has been learning how to navigate major life transitions while building a business.
Grief, personal health challenges, single parenthood, and financial uncertainty all intersected early on. There
were many moments where I had to make decisions without a clear roadmap. Learning how to keep moving
forward while also honoring my own capacity took time and patience.
Professionally, one of the hardest lessons was recognizing when an environment no longer supported the work I
was doing. At times, I found myself working within systems that prioritized volume over care. At other times, I
realized that a physical space was no longer conducive to the calm and safety my clients needed. In both cases, I
had to learn to trust myself enough to make changes, even when they felt risky.
Another ongoing challenge has been resisting the pressure to overextend. In wellness work, there is often an
unspoken expectation to always be available and to push past personal limits. I had to learn that sustainability
matters, not just for business growth, but for my own well-being. Setting boundaries around time, energy, andcapacity has been essential to creating a practice that is both meaningful and lasting.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m the owner and a Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist at Blue Earth Massage, where my work centers on nervous system–informed bodywork and a deeply relational approach to healing. My practice is built around a simple but often overlooked truth: the body doesn’t need to be analyzed to be met. When it’s met, it remembers how to regulate.
Rather than approaching pain, tension, or stress as something to “fix,” my work focuses on creating the conditions for safety, presence, and regulation within the body. Through intentional touch, guided awareness, breath, and fascia-based techniques, I support clients in reconnecting with their own internal signals so their nervous system can shift out of chronic guarding and into a state of repair.
What sets my work apart is that it’s collaborative rather than passive. Clients are gently invited into the process at a pace that feels supportive and accessible, which is especially meaningful for people who feel overwhelmed, disconnected from their bodies, or who haven’t found lasting change through more conventional approaches.
Brand-wise, I’m most proud of creating a practice that feels safe, human, and deeply respectful of the body’s intelligence. Blue Earth Massage isn’t about chasing outcomes — it’s about helping people come back into relationship with themselves. I want readers to know that my work is grounded, intentional, and rooted in the belief that healing happens through listening, not force.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
One of the most valuable lessons I learned early on came during massage school, when we were asked to interview an established business owner. I expected to hear that success meant working long hours, saying yes
to everything, and stretching myself thin. Instead, she told me to build my business around what actually works
for my life.
That advice stayed with me. I learned how important it is to set hours that are sustainable and to price your work
in a way that respects your needs. I also learned that you don’t have to be everything to everyone. The clients
who are meant for you will find you when your business is built with clarity and intention.
For anyone just starting out, my advice is to move at a pace your nervous system can support. Burnout doesn’t
lead to longevity, and growth doesn’t have to be rushed to be meaningful. When your work is aligned with your values and your capacity, it becomes not only more sustainable, but more fulfilling.
Pricing:
- Price varies by length of time
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.blueearthmassage.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueearthmassage18/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueEarthMassage
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blueearthmassage27705
